"We didn't know anyone could be so mean," Stacie Hoyles said. "It's terrible to say, but this just took my whole Christmas spirit away."

The 100-pound statues, which Hoyles and her husband, Craig Hoyles, nicknamed Mr. Nut and Mr. Cracker, were taken Dec. 7 while the couple slept. The couple found Mr. Nut's torso at a roadside about a mile away the next day, and Dublin police found other splintered parts nearby.

Officers said it appeared the statue had been dragged through the streets by a car.

The other statue was found in a field, partially burned with several parts missing.

A neighbor said she heard teenagers stop near her home the night of the theft, according to a police report.

The couple bought the statues for $500 four years ago, but Stacie Hoyles said the only replacements she could find were being sold online for $1,500.

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